H.—42.

2

before the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen : And whereas by section forty-seven of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act, 1916, the said section one hundred and forty was amended by substituting the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and eighteen, for the said first day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen : And whereas it is expedient, with a view to legislation to be hereafter passed, that inquiry should be made into the working of the said section one hundred and thirty-seven of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908 : Now, therefore, I, Arthur William de Brito Savile, Earl of Liverpool, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, and of all other powers and authorities enabling me in this behalf, and acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of the said Dominion, do hereby constitute and appoint you, the said John Henry Hosking, Charles F. Thomas, and William Milne, to be a Commission to inquire into and report as to the following matters, namely : — (1.) Ts the system of valuation prescribed by section one hundred and thirty-seven of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, satisfactory in its application to — (a.) Leases that have been heretofore or that may hereafter be granted by any Borough Council ; or (b.) Leases that have been heretofore or that may hereafter be granted by the Wellington City Council ? (2.) If the said system of valuation is not satisfactory, what alterations should be made therein ? (3.) Should the said alterations (if any) be made applicable— (a.) Generally with respect to leases that have been heretofore or that may be hereafter granted by Borough Councils ; or (b.) With respect only to leases that may hereafter be granted by Borough Councils ; or (c.) With respect only to leases that have been heretofore or that may hereafter be granted by the Wellington City Council ? (4.) Are the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908, relating to the leasing-powers of Borough Councils satisfactory and in the best interests of the lessees and the Corporations concerned ? (5.) If not, what alterations should be made in the said provisions ? And with the like advice and consent 1 do further appoint you, John Henry Hoskino, to be Chairman of the said Commission. And for the better enabling you the said Commission to carry these presents into effect, you are hereby authorized and empowered to make and conduct any inquiry under these presents at such times and places in the said Dominion as you deem expedient, with power to adjourn from time to time and place to place as you think fit, and to call before you and examine on oath or otherwise, as may be allowed by law, such person or persons as you think capable of affording you information in the premises ; and you are also hereby empowered to call for and examine all such books, papers, plans, writings, documents, or reports as you deem likely to afford you the fullest information on the subject-matter of the inquiry hereby directed to be made, and to inquire of and concerning the premises by all lawful means whatsoever. And, using all diligence, you are required to report to me, under your hands and seals, not later than the first day of March, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen, your opinion as to the aforesaid matters. And it is hereby declared that these presents shall continue in full force and virtue although the inquiry is not regularly continued from time to time or from place to place by adjournment.